A Year in Review
In Gratitude
The Year 2022 is coming to an end and Healthy Native Youth is taking this time to reflect. We have immense gratitude and great hopes for the new year!

In this December issue, we include our Year in Review highlights and our Winter Break resources in preparation for the holiday season.

Our Seasons’ Greetings message to you comes in the form of a video prayer - we are so very grateful for your dedication and support. We hope this blessing is good medicine this holiday season.

M4H Blessing Video:
Healthy Native Youth:
Engaging. Relevant. Effective.
6 Year Highlights
In August 2022, Healthy Native Youth marked six years as a one-stop shop educator portal that contains health promotion curricula and resources for American Indian and Alaska Native youth. The curricula housed on our website promote positive youth development, embrace cultural teachings, and demonstrate evidence of effectiveness. Our vision was to design a site for tribal health educators, teachers, and parents.
The website includes direct links to all materials needed for implementation, such as facilitator training tools, lesson plans, marketing materials, information about how each program was designed, evaluation tools and findings, and references to related publications and reports.
 
Our vision continues to expand as our HNY infographic highlights six years of effort. We hope you will continue to grow with us on our journey to raise Healthy Native Youth!
Implementation Toolbox: Resource Spotlight
Choose Phase: Ready-to-Use MoA Template
The HNY Implementation Toolbox has ready-to-use templates that can be adapted for local use. Upon choosing a curriculum and a location to implement, based on your setting, it may be necessary to obtain approval, such as a Memorandum of Agreement between a school and a health department, to deliver the program. This agreement connects community partners in a well-defined collaborative relationship. 

Visit the Choose Phase and the templates to see what could help in establishing support for your program planning.
HNY Curriculum Spotlight:
Youth Spirit Program - New culturally-grounded life skills curriculum
A new program has joined the HNY Curriculum List! The Youth Spirit Program (YSP) was developed as part of a Healing of the Canoe Project (HOC) by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The adaptation is based on the original HOC Curriculum. 

The intent of this culturally-grounded life skills curriculum is to provide middle and high school age youth with the opportunity to develop skills to help them make choices that motivate positive actions, while avoiding the hazards of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Learn more about this flexible and free curriculum!
Resource Library Highlight:
Native Plants & Foods StoryMap + Curriculum Portal
There is a new resource in the HNY Resource Library to facilitate connections to traditional plants and foods. Largely centered in Coast Salish communities and lands, the StoryMap and Native Plants and Foods Curriculum Portal offers education resources connecting current and future generations of knowledge keepers in native ecological lifeways.
Community of Practice
Coming Up: December 14th
Join us and hear from an intergenerational panel of speakers about the importance of culture, family, community and connection. It will be a powerful Community of Practice you won’t want to miss!
In Case You Missed it in November:
Healthy Native Youth Highlights & Resources
The HNY partners shared adolescent health materials and resources for
Native youth to build up your educator and caring adult toolbox. Tune in and get some ideas!
Community of Practice 2023 Schedule Announced
Join us in the New Year
Winter Break Support Resources
The holiday season and the cold darkness of Winter can bring with it mixed emotions. As a prevention strategy, we encourage the following text message campaigns and resources for youth, parents and caring adults to either sign up for and to make publicly available for community visibility for support. 
For Educators & Caring Adults
Mind 4 Health is a text message service for caring adults to help them nurture conversations that build mental health. To join, text “Mind4Health” to 65664. Messages include skill-building videos and links to help caring adults talk with youth about mental health, share tips for modeling self-care, and connect youth to mental health resources when needed.

For Parents & Relatives
Talking is Power is a text message service for parents and caring adults to encourage conversations with teens about sensitive topics to help them make healthy decisions. To join, text “Empower” to 94449. Messages include conversation starters, tips,
video demonstrations, and words of encouragement.  Grab the moment to talk with your youth over the holiday break!
For Youth
Youth Support Resources is a handout that has a very helpful list of resources by health category and a variety of text message campaigns to provide support to youth in crisis and for general health informational in getting help.

The handout is helpful for youth as well as school and health providers to make available for community education & visible support. 
For Washington State
Native & Strong Lifeline is the first program of its kind in the nation dedicated to serving American Indian and Alaska Native people specifically in Washington State. Operated by volunteers of America Western Washington, this line is available for people who call 988 and choose option 4. Calls are answered by Native crisis counselors who are tribal members and descendants closely tied to their communities. Native and Strong Lifeline counselors are fully trained in crisis intervention and support, with special emphasis on cultural and traditional practices related to healing.
The Latest News
New HNY Publication!
We INSPIRE Text Campaign
The INSPIRE text message campaign is live and receiving buzzworthy attention. The campaign features motivational videos capturing indigenous voices in public health. Check out our downloadable resources you can use to share the campaign with youth in your network.
Spread the Word
Share the Healthy Native Youth Newsletter!
1. Share this email with your colleagues.
2. Sign up for HNY updates by texting HEALTHY to 94449.
3. Follow us on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

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